Method for the manufacture of clear ice



March 7, 1939. J Fuss 2,149,912

METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CLEAR IC E Filed April 20, 1938 Inventor:

Jame/w firss Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNI ED STATES mrrnon iron msmaul-Across or cum; ICE

Johann Fuss, Netlschkau in Vogtland, Germany,

assignor to Netzschkaner Maschinenfabrlk rm'u Stark & Siihne,

land, Germany Application April :0, 1938, Serial no; 202,035

In Germany April 2., 193'! 2' Claims. 02-1-12) The present inventionrelates to a method for the manufacture of clear ice in ice generatorsoperating with air as carrier of cold.

The manufacture of clear ice is effected in a well known manner, forinstance by a method according to which during the freezing process dryair, cooled to low temperature is, by means of -a rotary pump, a bloweror a compressor, blown into the water present in the ice cans for thepurpose of freezing. The air particles and the air bubbles contained inthe freezing water in the ice cans are separated by this operation andthe contaminations are brought to the core of the ice block, so thatthey easily may be removed and replaced by pure water before thefreezing process is finished. The clear ice produced by this methodpractically is free of contaminations and congealed air bubbles so thatice made according to'the new method is of substantially higher valuethan ordinary ice.

Moreover, by blowing air cooled to a low temperature into the freezingwater in the ice cans,

the freezing process is accelerated, whereby a greater economy of theice generators is obtained.

In the carrying out of the known methods for the manufacture of clearice operating with brine as heat exchanging means, a special air coolerhas been necessary to produce the dry air cooled to a low temperaturerequired for the manufacture of clear ice. This additional air cooler isused only for the purpose of cooling the air, before it is conductedinto the air. conduits provided with valves and nozzles, to such a lowtemperature, that further deposit of water in the air conduits, valvesand nozzles is impossible.

The initial cost and operating expenses of a plant for themanufacture ofclear ice are, of course, substantially increased by the additional aircooling device. g

The object aimed at-by this invention consists in removing an additionaldevice for cooling to a low temperature and drying the air to be blownintothe cans for the production of clear ice,

of a plant for generating clear ice are substantially reduced. Thisobject is achieved with the ice generators, operating with air ascarrier of cold, by the air used for freezing the water in the ice cansand flowing along these cans being drawn in by means of a rotary bloweror a compresser and being blown through the freezing water of the icecans.

The advantages obtained by the method according to the present inventionare of greatest whereby the initial cost and the cost of operationimportance for the entire field of duction.

A device adapted for carrying out the method according to this inventionis shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which 5 Fig.1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device for producing clear icein accordance with my invention. I

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional viewof the device.

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the spring connection.

The tank a of the ice generator contains the 15 ice cans b, a fan 0 forcirculating the air used as heat exchanging medium. and the Vaporizersd. In the bottoms of the ice cans b nozzles e for blowing in air areprovided whichnozzles are connected to the distributing pipes f.

Branching from the rotary blower or compresser g arranged within tank aor outside of the latter is a main pipe 11. and from the latterconnecting pipes 1' lead to the distributing pipes clear ice prof of theice cans b. The connecting pipes i are connected to the distributingpipes f by perfectly tightening spring connections In in such a man ner,that on insertion the rows of cans coupled together need only be placedupon the spring connection k which is compressed by the own weight .ofthe cans band thereby is automatically closed.

' 'The operation of the clear ice generating plant is as follows:

The air flowing around the Vaporizers d and cooled and dried thereby isdrawn in by the fan '35 c and blown along the ice cans b, whereupon theair returns again around thevaporizers d. A larger or smaller amount'-of this cooled and dried air is drawn in by the rotary blower orcompressor g, arranged within tank a or outside 40 the same, and isblown by way of the pipes h, i, g k, f and the nozzles 6 into the icecans b which are filled with freezing water. If the air flows throughthe freezing water in the ice cans, the air bubbles present in thefreezing water are carriedupwardly and arev discharged with the blown inair. The contaminations of the water. collect in the core of the iceblock and may easily be removed shortly before the freezing process isfinished. The air freely leaving the so freezing water of the ice cansis mixed again with the air serving as carrier of cold and on passingaround the vaporizers d is freshly cooled and dried, the cycle ofoperations being thus repeated.

l 10 and cooling saidair againto a low temperature. temperature.

a I I Y 2,149,912

I elaim'is: generators operating with air as cold carrier, 1; it niethodor generating clear ice in ice comprising the steps of blowing ans-l1air. cooled 4 1 operating .with air as cold carrier, to a lowtemperature alongice cans for generatc prbing the steps of blowing driedair cooled ing ice, blowing dried air cooled to a low ternto allowtemperature along ice cans for generatperature by means, arranged withina tank con ing ice, lilowing dried air cooled to a low temtaining' saidice cans, through freezing water 111.

perature through freezing water in said ice cans, said ice cans, mixingthe air leaving said mixingtheairleaving'saidcansagainwiththeagainwlththeairservingascarrieroi'coldand air serving as carrier doomand finally drying finally drying and cooling said air'again to a low 2.A method ot generating clear ice inice Joimm F088. 9

